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Wader populations decline faster than ever
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Sander Carpay
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May 19, 2009 08:40 PDT
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More than half the populations of waders in Europe, West Asia and Africa
are declining at an accelerating rate. There is a need for better
protection of the key wetlands along their flyways, especially in Africa
and the Middle East. This is the conclusion of the Wetlands
International’s Wader Atlas, the first comprehensive overview of key
site networks for waders in Europe, West-Asia and Africa, launched in
London today.
Waders are relatively small waterbirds including species like lapwings,
plovers, godwits, curlews and sandpipers. Many of them undertake long
distance migrations from their Arctic breeding grounds to wintering
areas as far away as Southern Africa. Some concentrate in huge numbers
at just a few sites, making these critical wetlands for their survival.
Incomplete network of protected areas
The European Union has established a comprehensive network of protected
areas for waders in Europe under the Birds Directive. Outside the EU
however, the protection and management of key sites is still far from
adequate. A string of wetlands concentrated on the western coast of
Africa, (Sahel zone along the Senegal and Niger rivers, around Lake
Chad), and in East Africa in the Sudd, along the Rift Valley and eastern
coast of Africa, is crucial for the survival of many migratory waders.
Therefore, if EU investment in protecting waders is to be effective,
these crucial sites must also be included in its conservation strategy.
Wader Atlas author Simon Delany said: “Waders such as the Ruff are
heavily protected in the EU; farmers receive thousands of Euros for nest
protection. These same birds are for sale in the markets of Mopti, Mali
for just 25 cents each! If just a part of the finance available in the
EU for waterbird protection were to go to the areas where these same
birds winter, a huge difference could be made”.
Pressure on wetlands
The wetlands of the African west coast are under enormous pressures. The
sparse water resources in the Sahelian zone are tapped by dams on the
Niger or Senegal rivers, which have turned formerly shallow wetlands
into permanently dry lands. Irrigation schemes for growing human
population disrupt the water flow in wetlands such as the shrinking Lake
Chad. Often wetlands themselves are converted to agricultural use, such
as in the Tana River Delta in Kenya, which is threatened by conversion
to sugar cane plantations.
A similar story can be told for the Middle East. Many waders migrate
from the Arctic and Scandinavia to the coastal zones along the Persian
Gulf. These coastal areas are now suffering from rapid development which
threatens the habitat of the scarce and declining Broad billed
Sandpiper, for example.
Highlighting important wetlands
The Wader Atlas highlights the most important wetlands to be protected
for each wader population. It will thus provide decision makers across
the Africa-Eurasian region with crucial information so that they can
increase and better focus their efforts for wetland conservation. Better
water management preserving the Sahelian wetlands benefits not only
waders, but also local people. Indeed, involving local people in
protection strategies for waders has been successful in many regions.
Species’ chapters and high resolution photos of the book can be
downloaded from: www.wetlands.org/waderatlas.
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